The Hudson County Sheriff’s Department was on hand at Bayonne’s National Night Out festivities to put paper badges on kids who came to their information table. Although with handing out a number of other items including coloring books, pencils, rulers and paper badges, the sheriff’s department was also fingerprinting kids.

“This isn’t for us; it’s for the parents,” said Detective Hernandez. “Parents who want to have their own copy of fingerprints of their kids can get them here.”

Members of law enforcement have long touted the benefits of crime prevention and one of the efforts is National Night Out, designed to heighten awareness of and increase participation in anti-crime efforts. The first National Night Out occurred in 1984 and has been growing strong ever since. In New Jersey, many municipalities participate in the effort to decrease crime rates.

This year, National Night Out took place on Aug. 7, and more than 15,300 communities were expected to participate.

At Bayonne’s Night Out

Although hosted by the Bayonne Police Department on Tuesday, Aug. 7, the three-hour event was located on Del Monte Drive between 23rd and 24th Streets in the Bayonne Special Improvement District. The event was designed to bring together kids and police, and provide a host of information that parents might find useful.

Members of the Bayonne Police Department, Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, the Bayonne Municipal Utilities Authority, and the Bayonne Police Explorer Unit No. 227 volunteered their time to help provide fun and education.

“This is national event that we have taken part in since 1992,” said Acting Police Chief Ralph Scanni. “This gives the police department an opportunity to interact with residents of the community and to enjoy the evening and to discuss matters of mutual concern whether it is crime related incidents or quality of life issues and it’s a night to be had by all. Everybody is having a great time.”

Members of the Police Explorers, Women Rising, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Department, and the police command center were on hand at the event. Police equipment was on display and officers were distributing balloons and supervising the rides available for the children. A number of volunteers from the Department of Parks and the Bayonne Municipal Utilities Authority attended as well.

____________“This is national event that we have taken part in since 1992.” – Acting Police Chief Ralph Scanni__________

The Bayonne Police Explorers program is run out of the high school. Chris, whose last name was withheld, said, “We’re recruiting. [The program] is run with the Cops in Schools program.” CIS meets at the high school every other week.

“We learn what the cops know about domestic violence, traffic stops, how to write tickets, things of that nature,” said Chris.

Georgie Abrams was at the event to try to promote motorcycle safety. Scianni said that the backdrop of the farmers’ market was beautiful and that it fit perfectly.

Police officers acted as music disc jockeys keeping up the beat as other officers blew up balloons, or watched over the inflatable slide or the numerous other police-oriented entertainments.

Although nobody was openly dancing to the music, some kids and even parents tapped their feet to the beat of songs like “Time of My Life” and other peppy tunes blasted from the large speakers at one end of the Del Monte Drive.

Along with plastic police helmets and other police-oriented toys, Bayonne police were also issuing ID kids for kids, an item again that might help a child or parent or even the police in the event that a child gets lost.

“We give out night out lights so that they can see in the dark,” one of the officers said.